NASA Science

The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) engages the Nation’s science community, sponsors scientific research, and develops and deploys satellites and probes in collaboration with NASA’s partners around the world to answer fundamental questions requiring the view from and into space. SMD seeks to understand the origins, evolution, and destiny of the universe and to understand the nature of the strange phenomena that shape it. SMD also seeks to understand:

NASA Science Web Site

the nature of life in the universe and what kinds of life may exist beyond Earth;

the solar system, both scientifically and in preparation for human exploration; and

the Sun and Earth, changes in the Earth-Sun system, and the consequences of the Earth-Sun relationship for life on Earth.

The Science Mission Directorate also sponsors research that both
enables, and is enabled by, NASA's exploration activities. The SMD
portfolio is contributing to NASA’s achievement of the Vision for Space
Exploration by striving to:

Understand the history of Mars and the formation of the solar
system. By understanding the formation of diverse terrestrial planets
(with atmospheres) in the solar system, researchers learn more about
Earth’s future and the most promising opportunities for habitation
beyond our planet. For example, differences in the impacts of
collisional processes on Earth, the Moon, and Mars can provide clues
about differences in origin and evolution of each of these bodies.

Search for Earth-like planets and habitable environments around
other stars. SMD pursues multiple research strategies with the goal of
developing effective astronomically-detectable signatures of biological
processes. The study of the Earth-Sun system may help researchers
identify atmospheric biosignatures that distinguish Earth-like (and
potentially habitable) planets around nearby stars. An understanding of
the origin of life and the time evolution of the atmosphere on Earth
may reveal likely signatures of life on extrasolar planets.

Explore the solar system for scientific purposes while
supporting safe robotic and human exploration of space. For example,
large-scale coronal mass ejections from the Sun can cause potentially
lethal consequences for improperly shielded human flight systems, as
well as some types of robotic systems. SMD’s pursuit of
interdisciplinary scientific research focus areas will help predict
potentially harmful conditions in space and protect NASA’s robotic and
human explorers.